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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| A Flower Blooms In The Heart Of A Nanny State City |
| 2008-01-05 |
| In highly regulated cities like Boulder, Colo., you've got to take freedom where you can find it. And in the process, you may just find yourself cheering on the owner of a sleazy strip club. Described on the Internet as "edgy, artistic, erotic gentlemen's entertainment," Boulder's newest business establishment, Nitro Club, opened just before Christmas and is raising alarm bells with city officials shocked that that club's owner, Michael Cobb, didn't first give them the opportunity to kill the project. They question whether the club deserves to be located on the Pearl Street Mall, the city's posh shopping district. They wonder aloud why they never heard of the club before reporters brought its existence to their attention. "I'm surprised," Councilman Ken Wilson told The Boulder Daily Camera. "It does not sound like a good idea, or what the city intends for our Pearl Street Mall area." Critics have a point about the location being a little strange — who wants to pass pole dancers on the way to buy 500-thread count baby sheets at the boutique down the street? But Pearl Street still has a far way to go before it becomes a close cousin to Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District. Tucked away in an alley, the club has no windows to tempt passersby. It greets guests with only a simple steel door. It is truly a triumph of freedom that somehow Cobb slipped through Boulder's cumbersome regulatory process unnoticed. It wasn't like he hadn't tried before. In 1998, he applied for a liquor license for a topless bar he was proposing inside city limits. He was denied in a 3-2 vote made after the city's liquor board heard angry testimony from other business owners and community activists. One board member said he voted no because the stage the dancers were to dance on was too small. You can believe him if you want to. But this time around, Cobb outsmarted the city's system. He didn't need an alcohol license because the club will not sell booze. He told reporters that customers can pay $495 a year and an additional $45 a month to sit in a private area where they will drink alcohol that they must bring in themselves. This area, a nod to overcoming government prohibition, is appropriately called the "The Speakeasy." In Boulder, the city council has taken the time to regulate every aspect of the human existence possible. Everything that is, except for strippers. Terrorists heading to Boulder should be aware that the city has ordained itself a "nuclear-free" zone. No bomb-dropping here, please. Front porches are a source of city regulation. Be prepared to shell out hefty fines if you put any booze out there for your next party. A keg in public view can earn you a visit from the police. Own a pet in Boulder? Think again. A few years ago, the city changed all references in its ordinances concerning animal ownership. No longer do you "own" a pet. Now you are its guardian. And the Pearl Street Mall itself has been the source of much regulation. City council members actually took the time to ban the act of throwing Frisbees on the mall. It appears that knock-off disks were excluded from the ban. I'd love to see this one litigated. Mayor Shaun McGrath is now saying the council will have a "discussion" about the club's location. In Boulder, talking can only lead to one thing. Regulation, of course. While McGrath concedes that Cobb's actions appear to be legal, he said the club's opening begs "the question of, 'Do we as a community think that a downtown location for a strip bar is appropriate?' That's a conversation we need to have, because we haven't had that before." The news of Nitro Club's opening has garnered media attention near and far. Dozens of people have commented in support on news Web sites. Like most former Boulderites, I find myself in the strange position of cheering on the owner of a sleazy strip club. But alas, can this freedom from regulation possibly last? |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #8 who wants to pass pole dancers on the way to buy 500-thread count baby sheets at the boutique down the street? Gays, that's who. Moron. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2008-01-05 18:46 |
| #7 LOL Dawg, we already knew that. Join the Club |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 18:31 |
| #6 #3 frankly, I don't wanna know *anything* more about "Pole Dances" at a gay club, thankyouverymuch Eeewwwu ICK.. thanks for CONJURING THaT IMAGE.. /ima sick :( |
| Posted by: MSM 2008-01-05 18:22 |
| #5 I remember a time when Carmel California govn't was full of itself in much the same way that Boulder is. You couldn't eat ice cream cause they didn't like the way it made the sidewalks sticky. Then they did something to Clint Eastwood, denied him a liquor license or something like that, and so he ran for mayor. Of course he won. When the government gives itself too much power and begins to annoy the people, eventually they people give them the boot. It's like singers who want to stand on stage and preach politics. They soon discover who is master and who is servant. The fact that they forget that doesn't make it any less true. Same for politicians. |
| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2008-01-05 17:42 |
| #4 Boulder Colorado: For good reason, AKA "The People's Republic of Boulder". |
| Posted by: GK 2008-01-05 17:05 |
| #3 frankly, I don't wanna know *anything* more about "Pole Dances" at a gay club, thankyouverymuch |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 17:04 |
| #2 But alas, can this freedom from regulation possibly last? For a long time. A number of similar cases have indeed been a federal matter. Usually what happens is that the club is immune to new regulations aimed at and designed for a specific legal business. It's grandfathered, but the door gets shut for other competitors. Oh, and the city and tax payers get to foot all the costs of the demonstration of their hetrophobic* behaviors when their appeal cases fold. [*Cause you know that the broadminded and tolerant community of Boulder would never seek to shut down a gay club.] |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-01-05 17:00 |
| #1 heh heh - play their game better than they can. Then demolish them. After all, he can claim in the next round of elections, that they "approved" his operation, right? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-05 16:30 |